FOOD NEWS
Chivito Is The Tiny, Thinly-Sliced Steak Sandwich You Should Know
BY TOM MAXWELL
If a Cuban sandwich and muffuletta had a baby, it might look something like Uruguay’s chivito, a sandwich featuring thinly-sliced grilled steak, ham, bacon, and much more.
A chivito, meaning “little goat,” consists of a lightly-toasted bun brushed with mayo and packed with steak, ham, bacon, mozzarella, tomato, fried egg, olives, and lettuce.
The sandwich was created in 1946 at restaurant El Mejillón, when the proprietor swapped in churrasco, or skirt steak, for a patron’s request for chivito, or goat meat.
Today, chivitos are available in many different forms, from mile-high monstrosities, tiny slider-sized sandwiches, or even a breadless meal platter called “chivito al plato.”
The churrasco in chivitos is typically made with skirt steak, but other cuts of beef also work. To make it, slice the meat thinly, pound it until tender, and sear it on high heat.
For the sandwich, choose a loaf of bread with a soft interior and a hard crust. Lightly toast the bread, then lay on the ingredients, whether you keep it classic or get creative.
You can swap out pancetta with Canadian bacon to make a "chivito canadiense,” or add extras like onions, beets, olives, pickles, mushrooms, or roasted peppers.